The rush of things to do hasn’t stopped since fall began. Between the Alabama National Fair, Halloween preparations, music and food fun, there’s a lot on your plate in The 10 for the week of Oct. 10-16.
A full week of Alabama National Fair ahead
The Alabama National Fair continues now through Oct. 16, with magic of the fairway rides, amazing treats, animal exhibits, live music on the outdoor stage, the chance to win some big bucks in the Blizzard of Dollars machine, and more, all at the grounds around Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery. Monday is School Day, with $7 admission, and kids get a chance to earn Fair Bucks in the money machine. The fun includes attractions like the Swifty Swine, The Puppetone Rockers, K9s in Flight, a live shark encounter and the Zerbini Family Circus. There’s live music from JJ Weeks on Wednesday at 7 p.m., Steel CuZ’n on Thursday at 7 p.m., Atlanta Rhythm Section on Friday at 7 p.m. and Hotel California on Saturday at 7 p.m. Something new on Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. is the Shall We Dance K-Pop? Workshop. They’ll have special themed nights, with discounts and wristband offers. Get the full schedule and pricing info online at alnationalfair.org.
Bartender of the Year Competition
The Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association is coming to one of Montgomery’s finest new spots, Ravello Ristorante, 36 Commerce St., on Monday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to find out who is the state’s best bartender. It’s a good spot for it. Along with the restaurant, Ravello has a massive bar for bartenders from across the state to work at. The overall winner is going to take home a $1,500 prize and a trophy. The competition is sponsored by Old Forester and United-Johnson Brothers.
Join the Hilltop Howlers for Community Board Game Night on Tuesday
Don’t be bored! Get out of the house. Bring the whole family to The Sanctuary, 432 S. Goldthwaite St., Montgomery for Community Board Game Night on Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It’s all presented by The Hilltop Howlers. Play the games the Howlers provide, or feel free to bring your own. This is an event for all ages. The Howlers hold it every second Tuesday of the month.
Days of dance at Alabama State University
The Fall Dance Concert at Alabama State University is Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. nightly at ASU’s Leila Barlow Theatre, 915 S. Jackson St. Featuring a showcase of choreography by ASU’s dance faculty, it’ll bring performances in ballet, modern dance, African, hip hop and jazz. Tickets are $12 for general admission. They can be purchased online at ticketreturn.com and at the Box Office an hour prior to the show. ASU’s BFA/Dance Program is the first dance program in the state of Alabama to offer a BFA degree in Dance. The Dance degree is performance focused and prepares students to confidently enter into a career as a professional dance artist. For more information, call 334-229-6929 or 334-604-8186.
Bring your bones to a Halloween punk rock show at The Sanctuary
Ready to get more Halloween rock than a trick-or-treating Charlie Brown? Abusements bass player Lyra Stephens has put together a Halloween punk rock package at The Sanctuary, 432 S. Goldthwaite St., Montgomery on Oct. 15. As usual, this is an all ages punk rock show. Along with the Abusements, it features Grasping at Pieces and two Atlanta bands — Tom Cheshire Band (TCB) and the famous Genki Genki Panic. GGP is a horror surf group from Mars. It’s $10 to get in. Doors open at 6 p.m. Costumes are strongly encouraged, and skeleton-themed ones would be highly appreciated.
Masquerade Ball on Saturday at GTSouth
The folks at GTSouth are all about geeks and gaming, which for many comes with a really relaxed attire — T-shirts, shorts and maybe even flip flops. But on Saturday it’s time to get a little more fancy — dresses, maybe even tuxedos. It’s a Masquerade Ball, so dress to impress, and that includes your mask. The ball is from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at 2015 Cong WL Dickinson Drive. This is for ages 21 and up.
It’s ramen plus anime! What more could you want?
We’ve got a Saturday that’s a recipe for an awesome time: Ramen & Anime Night at Elegant Lower Dexter, 25 Dexter Ave. In case you haven’t heard, they curate events on Dexter Avenue that build community and grow relationships in the city. from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., they’re offering a night of ramen by Express Yo Noodle, drinks from The Co Lab Collective / Prevail Union, live art by Lydell Bell and Curbie Toles, a cosplay contest, DJ Jhavonn Brown and a 360 photo booth from Revolve Around You Productions. General admission tickets are $35, and include entry to the event, a bowl of Ramen, a Mocktail and entry to the cosplay contest. VIP is $45, which also includes a VIP armband that Includes 1 drink voucher (beer/wine/coffee), access to the gaming loft (Sega Genesis/Nintendo Switch/PS5) and the 360 Photo Booth. Tickets are available online at eventbrite.com/e/ramen-club-tickets-417090979347
Find your new best furry friend Saturday at PAHS Pet Palooza
You might not want to admit it, but you need a dog. And it just so happens that there are many, many dogs in need of someone just like you. So it’s fate that this Saturday you two can finally be united at the Prattville/Autauga Humane Society (PAHS) Pet Palooza on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cooters Pond Park, 1844 Cooters Pond Road, Prattville. They’ll have several fuzzy buddies there ready to be adopted. They’ll also have children’s games, pet contests, a bake sale, a raffle, grilled concessions, jewelry and vendors. Microchipping will be available for $25. If rain happens to hit Saturday, they’ve got a rainout date at the park from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Lily Pad Open House on Saturday in Millbrook
Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., join the Thirsty Turtle, along with Lux Salon, Color Copy Shop, The Nail Lounge and Abundant Grace Ministries, for the Lilly Pad Open House and Customer Appreciation Night. They’ll be fundraising for the Humane Society of Elmore County. Bring the kids in costume for a chance at a prize in the Cutest Kid Costume contest at 4:30 p.m. There a live auction at 5 p.m. If you’ve got a cute dog, bring it along (leashed) for a chance at a prize in the cutest dog contest. At 6 p.m., there’s another live auction, and at 6:30 p.m. they’re doing a drawing for a booze cart. It’s all happening at 4884 Main St, Millbrook.
Great Jaripeo Dance on Sunday at Rancho Paraiso
Get ready to dance the night away with four amazing bands bringing the sounds of Mexico on Sunday. Rancho Paraiso, 1890 Snowdown Chambers Road, Montgomery, has La Maquinara Nortena (The Northern Machine), La Energia Nortena (The Northern Energy), La Reunion Nortena (The Northern Gathering) and Los De Chiwas. Tickets are $60. Doors open at 2 p.m., and it’s a 100% family atmosphere. Children under 12 get in free. Get tickets online at ranchoelparaisoalabama.com. For more info call 334-306-1198.
Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel covers things to do in the River Region. Contact him at sheupel@gannett.com.
